CONNECT Magazine Japan #122 March 2023

14 | Islands of the Setouchi

32 | Curry & Rice: How I Learned to Embrace Being Multiracial

48 | Kendo: The Way of the Sword & the Way to the Heart

100 | AStreetRat’sStreetFoodAdventures

AJET

IssueNo.122

March2023

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

One thing I love about Japanese convenience stores is the commitment to the flavors of the season. With any change in weather or holiday, the seasonal snacks and sweets rotate out like clockwork, dutifully staying on schedule with only a few stragglers lingering in the sale bins. And March, in this conbini snack machine, means the fading out of strawberry and the first wave of the iconic sakura. It’s no matter if you yourself won’t be seeing the pink buds until May, because in the convenience store, the shelves are already blooming with pink wrappers.

Similarly, here at CONNECT, we often rotate our themes alongside the seasons. And this issue too welcomes the warm weather and reflective renewal of spring with open arms.

For starters, one cannot speak of spring’s literal blooming flowers in Japan without the mention of ikebana So, right on cue, alongside the third installment of the Setouchi Art Island Series, the Art Section brings a look at this traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement. Here, the author delves into their own introduction and practice of the graceful art, creating intimate scenes of not only the technique itself but of their own ikebana sensei as well.

Following that creation of scenes and warm weather-inspiration, the Sports Section brings a guide to recess in Japan. Written by an elementary school ALT in rural Japan, the piece acts as a quick guide through the various playground games. Though a great read for any teacher, it is also a warming piece for any foreigner in a new land as the author walks through their experiences of confusion and dismay with humor and a relatable attitude.

Then, with the renewal of self and introspective atmosphere of the fresh days, the Culture Section brings an honest and beautifully-written personal essay, Curry and Rice The author explores their own place in the world, and how they came to understand themselves more deeply and embrace their multiracial identity. Alongside expressive illustrations created by the author, the read is warming and moving.

So whether you’re walking along a pinkdotted tree line or pink-dotted snack aisles, we hope the spring feelings and tastes help defrost after the long winter.

Enjoy!

Monica Hand Head Editor

P.S

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ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Ice Tea

S. Tsuchiya

Hakan Nural

Ian Lai

note thanun

2ykang

Ayumi Kubo

Gerd Altmann

Josephine Bredehoft

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ARTS AND CULTURE

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“Apersonwhohasgoodthoughtscannot everbeugly.Youcanhaveawonkynoseand acrookedmouthandadoublechinand stick-outteeth,butifyouhavegoodthoughts theywillshineoutofyourfacelikesunbeams andyouwillalwayslooklovely.”—Roald Dahl,fromTheTwits

THEARTISSUE

C - The Art Issue

Interviewed by Sydney Michael (Yamaguchi)

’veadmiredtraditional Japaneseartsforawhile,and whenIhadachanceencounter with a highly accomplished ikebana master last year and she offered to teach me, I was beyond elated to start. I want to share with you all not just the love of flowers and ikebana that I have, but a bit of my wonderful sensei, Nobu Kurashige. This is a collection of some of our conversations.

“Iwasbornintoanikebanafamily,” shestarted.“Mymotherwasatea ceremonyandikebanamaster,so Iwasbroughtuparoundit.She arrangedikebanaallaroundour house.Everyday,everywhere,I enjoyedflowers.Itwasmynormal.”

“I’vealsoalwaysenjoyedplants, flowers,andgreenery.WhenIwas achild,wewouldgoasafamilyinto themountains.”Shepaused,thinking foramoment.

Nobu Kurashige (Yamaguchi)

yfatherusedtotellme thatthereweregodsin themountains.Henever discouragedmefromtakingflowers andbranches,buttaughtmetocut fromthesidesandnotthetop,so theywouldn’tdieandcouldcontinue togrow.”Hervoicesoftened.“My fatheralwayssaidflowersare

beautifulandtheyhavetheirown lives,sowhenyoucutfromnature, youhavetoshowyourappreciation.”

Shesmiled.“Youhavetothankthem asyouusethem.Itwasaverygood lesson.”

NantenbySydney

hen Kurashige-sensei was showing me some photographs of her arrangementsattheTokyoNational MuseumandtheTokyoOlympics,I wasshockedbytheireleganceand beauty.Shesaid,“Youknow,I’ve beenstudyingikebanaforaround40 years,butIdidn’tstartuntilIwasan adult.”

“AftermyhusbandandIgotmarried andwemovedtoNewYork,our neighborwasanItalianflorist.He hadaskedmeaboutJapanese flowers,andIwasashamed ofmyself,becausedespitemy upbringing,Icouldn’ttellhimmuch ofanything.”

“ItwasmovingtotheUSthatmade merealizethatI’mJapanese.Those 10yearsinthestates,separated frommyculture,mademefeelmore connectedtoitthanIeverhadin Japan.It...”shethought,lowering thepicturesstillinherhands.“It almostfeltlikemydutytostudymy ownculture.Beingsosteepedin somethingmeansthatyounever haveachancetoseeitclearlyfrom theoutside.”

“I’msogratefulthatIwentto America,”shesaid,settingdownthe picturesandpickingupabranch, “notonlybecauseofeveryoneI metandeverythingIwasableto dowhileIlivedthere,butbecause thatexperiencehashelpedmeto learnaboutmyselfandcarrythat knowledgeintotherestofmylife.”

AboveImages:NantenbySydney

ydney,”Kurashige-sensei calledtomeasIwalked intotheroom,“Doyou knowwhatkindofplantthisis?”

Seeingmyblankfaceandslight shakeofmyhead,shesaid,“It’s called‘nanten’inJapanese,written withthecharactersforsouth(南)and heavens(天).Today,Iwantyoutouse theseinyourarrangement.”

AsIstruggledtocutdownthe branchanddecideonwhichangleto placeit,shetookitoutofmyhands and,cuttingonebunchintotwo, pointedtowardsthefrontandmiddle ofmypiece.

RightImages:BlackVasebySydney

henIlivedinPeru,I metamanwhowas fromHiroshima.He evenspokeintheHiroshimadialect. Heraisedflowers,andhegaveme asprigofnantenandbeggedmeto useitinoneofmyarrangements.”

Sheshookherheadfondlyand handedmemoreofthered,dotted berries.“Ilaughedathim.Itwasa pitifullittleplant,andIhadnodesire toincorporateitintoanarrangement. Butthen,hetoldmeastory.He explainedthatnanten,thoughwritten adifferentwayforthenameofthe flower,couldalsobewrittenwith

thecharactersfordifficult(難)and turningaround(転).It’simportantto takethosedifficultstrugglesinour livesanddowhat’sinourpowerto makeitbetter.Evenifotherpeople don’tseethebeautyinit,wecan lookatwhatbecameofthose strugglesandbeproudofhowwe didourbesttomakeitintoabetter situation.”

“Hetoldmethatwhilethereare manyikebanateachers,thereare notmanytruemasters.Flowers havemeaning,theyhavetheirown characterandhistory,andIthought thenthatIwanttobecomeateacher thatcansharethatsideofflowers, too.”

Shesentmehomewithanextra bunchofnantenthatday.

KurashigeIwakuniTeaRoom

KurashigeKyoto

hen I called Kurashigesensei the other day to ask if I could write about her,Iaskedifshehadanyadvice, oranythingshewantedtotellthe readers.Shesaid,“Pleasetell them...toshowlovetotheflowers aroundthem.‘Iwantwater.’‘Ilove thissunlight.’‘Thisbreezeistoo strong.’Theyaretalking,butwedon’t listen.Don’tjustpayattentiontothe sizeandthecolorofthebiggest, grandestblooms.Lookathowthey grow.Noticethesmallbudsonthe groundasyouwalktoworkeach day.Ifyoucanlearntoloveandlisten totheflowersaroundyou,youcan learntotalktotheflowerstoo.”

“Wecanalllearnalotfromflowers.”

ydneyMichaelisafirst-yearCIR,fourth-yearJETin YamaguchiPrefecture.Shegotherundergraduate degree in Asian Languages and Literatures. Currently, her favorite flower is the lily of the valley, though this is bound to change.

obuKurashigeisaKadoIemotoIkenoboSoukatoku,thehighestclass qualificationinIkenoboIkebana.ShewasalsotheHeadofProfessorsofIkebana atIkenoboCollege.Shehastravelledtheworldteachingandexhibitingikebana,and shewantstosharethebeautyofflowerswiththenextgeneration.

KurashigeIwakuni

KurashigeTokyoNationalMuseum

fterspendingafewdays exploringtheartworksaround themainhubofTakamatsuPort,I decidedtoslowlystartmymultipledaydrivebacktoKyushu.The SetouchiTriennaleishostedover multipleislands,soIplannedtovisit afewmoreislandsalongtheway home.Someoftheislandsoftheart festivalareonlyopeneverythree years.Fourofthoseislandsarethen

open for only one season of that year. Naturally, I wanted to visit some of these "rarer" islands. First on my list was an island called Takamijima, however for the previous few days of my trip, my Setouchi Triennale App had been notifying me that, for some undisclosed reason, the ferry was not running and all artworks were closed on that island.

VictoriaClayton(Miyazaki)

uckilythemagicoftheTriennale,thathadyettofailme,continuedtocastitsspellandontheday IhadhopedtogotoTakamijima(andafterrefreshingmyappandthewebsiteincessantlyfor10 minutesbeforeleaving)itappearedtheferrywasindeedrunning.So,Isetoff.However,myluckwas short-lived.IarrivedattheportforTakamijimawithmereminutestosparebeforethefirstferryleft— onlytorealisethatIwasatthewrongport!Withtheotherportover40minutesawayIacceptedmy fateandboardedtheferry—itwasn’tasifIwasgoingtoendupataLepercolonyagain....

PhotobyJellekeVanooteghemonUnsplash

arrivedatanislandcalled Awashima.Thefirstferryof thedayarrivedaroundthirty minutesbeforeanyofthevenues openedsoI,likemanyother tourists(whoIassumealsotook thewrongferry),startedwalking tothefurthestartworkonthe island—amere15-minutewalkon abeautifullywarmautumnday. Onthewaytothefirstartwork,I startedchattingtoanothertourist, anursefromOsaka.Wewalked toKatsuhikoHibino’sartwork Re-ing-A,discussingtheother islandswehadvisitedonour journeyandwhatwehopedto visitinthefuture. Re-ing-A looked likeacagedelephant,butasit wasfloatingfaroffshoreinthe sea,Iwasunabletoviewthework upclose.So,welookedfroma distanceattheunreachableand wondered,quiteliterally,whatwas outthere.

fterbrieflycontemplating theartworklosttoseawhile waitingforthegalleriestoopen, wepartedwaystocontinueour separatejourneysexploringthe Triennale.ThenextartworkI visitedontheislandwas The SongoftheChildrenAllGone byMounirFatmi.Thisartwork, likemanyartworksinruralJapan, wassetinanabandonedschool building.Oneclassroom,setupfor class,hadclocksplacedoneach

deskandoneonthecentreofthe blackboard,alltheclockswereset tothesametimeastheclockon thefrontoftheschool’sbuilding emphasisingthatthisschool wasforeversuspendedinthis momentoftime.AsIcontinuedto walkthroughtheschoolbuilding, Iimaginedadifferentmoment intime,atimewherehustleand bustlefilledtheseclassrooms andcorridors.Iwonderedabout thepaststudentsandteachers, andiftheyevenknewthattheir belovedschoolthatwasonce filledwithfriendships,laughter, andmemoriesnowonlyexistsin theirmemories.

ithallthatwonderingabout time,Ialmostforgottostart walkingtowardstheportbefore theferrydeparted.Onmywayto theport,Istoppedat Contours ofThinking byEstherStocker, anartworksetintheisland’s oldkindergarten.UnlikeFatmi’s work,whichforcedmetothink andcontemplatethemoment, Stocker’sworkremindedmeto justliveandbeinthemoment.The installationpiecefilledtheroom withlarge3Dlines,punctuating thespacetoencourageaplayful response,tomovearoundthe roomasifitwereaplayground, coaxingmetofollowthelineslike ahopscotch,orjumpoverthelines likehurdles.

PhotobyShifaazShamoononUnsplash

lthoughtherewasadirectferryfrom AwashimatoTakamijima,Iwasbound bymycar,soIheadedbacktothemainland beforedrivingtotheferryportItriedtofind earlierinthemorning.Ican’tquitepinpoint theexactreasonformydeepdesiretovisit thisisland,perhapsitwasthewarning ofsteephills,andnostoresorvending machinesthatsparkedasenseofadventure withinme.Asif,ratherthananaverageart touristseekingtoexploreJapan’sfamousart islandfortheperfectpumpkinsnap,Iwasa trueartdevoteeseekingtheultimateartwork infarflungandremoteplaces,willingtosuffer amulti-daytrekinordertobedeeplymoved byasmuchasartpossible—orsomething likethat.Regardlessofmyintentions,I boardedtheferrywithgreatexcitement andstoodonthetopdeckwatchinginawe asweapproachedtheislandwithitssteep shoreline.WedisembarkedandItookamap, theartworkslookedquiteclosetogether— howeveritdidnotaccurately(ifatall)show thesteepnessofthestreets.Istartedwalking andcontinuedtopassabandonedhouse afterabandonedhouse,withcrumbling wallsthatwouldrevealolddinnerplatesstill perfectlystackedfromthenowgoneowners, andforamomentIwasremindedofthe schoolbuildingonthepreviousisland.

sIcontinuedwalkingupthesteephills, Igrewincreasinglytiredandfrustrated. Ievencontemplatedgivingup,questioning whetherIreallyneededtosufferinthename ofart.Then,thenursewhoIhadmetearlier intheday,camewalkingdown.Seeingmy face,shegavemewordsofencouragement tocontinuewalkingup,tellingmeitwasfar, butworthit.Withtiredlegs,Isteppedinto KayakoNakashima’s TransitionHouse,anold,

PhotobyShinoonUnsplash

abandonedhousewithsmallholescovering thewalls.Iwashopingforsomerespite fromtheseeminglyendlesstrailofsteep hillsandabandonedhouses,buttheroom wasdarkwithstaleair.However,asItook amomenttopause,Inoticedsmallbeams oflightpenetratingthewallsthatcreateda delicatebeauty.Thesoftglowhighlighted thedarkcornersoftheoldhousebringingin momentarylight,justlikehowtheartfestival

momentarilybringslifetotheseislands, beforetheytooreturntoaquietness.Ileftthe workfeelingasenseofmelancholicawe,the existentialdreadcreepingovermeasIturned tofacethenever-endinghillleadingmeupto thenextartwork.LikeNakashima’swork,the artworksontheislandcontinuedtoplaywith contrastoflightanddark,creatingworksthat evokedafragilecontrastbetweendarkness andlight.

nthemorningofmyfinalday,Idecidedthat, despitemygrowingexhaustion,Iwouldmake onelastshortdetourtothefurthestIslandin thefestival,thetinyislandknownasIbukijima. TherewasonlyoneartworkthatIwaslooking forwardtoseeing,TakashiKuribayashi’s Tree ofIbuki,madeofJapanesecypressandmirrors andshapedintoalargetreetrunk.Theartwork islocatedonthesiteoftheisland’s debeya Thedebeyawasafacilityforheavilypregnant womenoftheislandtoliveinshortlybeforeand aftergivingbirthwheretheyweretakencareof bytheotherwomenoftheisland.Kuribayashi’s TreeofLifeseekstohonourthissacredspace byhighlightingthespacebetweentheearth andthetrunk,asawayofsymbolisingthespace betweenourmother’swombandtheworld.The beautifulcraftsmanshipofthetreetrunkcreated withmismatchedwoodenplanksandreflective glassinsidethetrunkbringmyattentiontoboth thephysicalityoftheworkandthelandscape thatsurroundsit.

fterphotographingthetreefromasmany anglesaspossible,Icontinuedmyinterest inthephysicalworldbyfollowingtheisland’s pathtoeachartwork.Thepathtookmeon alongandattimesnarrowjourneythrough theisland’ssmallforestandIendedupat ManalAlDowayan’swork SongsoftheShore. Theworkconsistsofaninstallationofburnt basketsweavedofpalmleavesandvideo withasoundtrackofArabicsinging.Thework reflectsonthetradition,ritualsandrelationships betweenwomenandthesea.Seekingtocreate anexchangebasedonthesharedexperience offishingcommunities,AlDowayansent200 basketsmadeinSaudiArabia.TheJapanese communitythentookpartinburningandputting outthefires.Thebasketsweresentasakind letteroflove,solidarityandwellwishestothe communityonIbukijima.

fterviewingtheartwork,Icontinuedtofollowtheloopbacktotheport.The finalstretchpassedalongsidethelargefishprocessingplant.Althoughonly onesquarekilometreinsize,theislandisJapan’slargestproducerofsardines, whichyoucantryinthelocalisland’sbento,madebyagroupofgrandmothers oftheisland.Thebentousesfreshfishcaughtontheislandandflavoursand recipesthathadbeenpasseddownthroughthemothersoftheisland.Of course,Iboughtonefortheferryhomeandsavouredthetaste,hopingmy appetiteforartwouldbesatisfiedforanotherthreeyears.

ictoriaspendshertimewriting,surfing,andexploringallthewonderthe worldhastooffer.

ChloeHolm(Ehime)

(This will be a spoiler- free overview and review, minus some basic exposure of some of the mechanics ofthe storyand someinsight intothe games.No characterdeaths, revelations,or majorplot pointswill bediscussed.Inaddition,theseriesincludesafewsnippetsofshortergamesorpreviousgamesin montages,but Iwill onlybe lookingat thegames thattake upa significantportion ofthe showand that revealsgamemechanicsandhowthecharactersnavigatethoseinpresenttime.)

deathmatchinthemosticonic burrowsofabandonedTokyo. Belovedlive-actioncharacters— Alice,WhiteRabbit,Cheshire Cat—pittedagainsteachotherinacruelgame ofbetrayal.Ashowdownwiththesickand twistedQueen ofHearts inher owngarden. Why are these childhood characters forced to indulge intwisteddeathgamesthatseemdesignedto cullmostofitsplayers?Whyaretheytheonly inhabitantsinanow-abandonedTokyo?Who reallyistheQueenofHeartsandmastermind behinditall?Orisitallatwisted,upside-down Wonderlandreality?

AliceinBorderland isadeathgameseries, andyoucanexpectplentyofgore,death,and heart-wrenchingbetrayals.Theshowisfilled withsurvivalgamesthecharactersmustendure beforetheir“visa”runsout,andthegamesare extracruel.Thesegameshavefourdifferent

categories:Spades,physical;Diamonds, intellect;Clubs,team-based;and,perhapsthe cruelest,Hearts,betrayal.

Whilethegamesareaprimaryfocus,aunique featuretotheseriesisthetimeitspendsworldbuildinganddevelopingmysteriesaroundthe circumstancesofthegamesandworld.The gamesare,ofcourse,horrifyinglyentertaining, thoroughlyengagingwiththatmorbidcuriosity asweimaginehowwewouldhandleand strategizetosurvivethedeathgames.Butthe mysteryaroundtheworldisreallywhatkeeps theaudience’sattentionforthelargerscheme. Pairedwithsomereallyinterestinganduniquely retoldfairytalecharactersthatevenhaveyou rootingforthemintheunfairandbrutalgames. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to see an epicactionshoot-outontheiconiccrossroads ofShibuya,oneofTokyo’smostfamous neighborhoods?

As much as I love death games of chance, strategy, and improbable odds, in an age when Netflix and the media seem to be pumping out as much thrilling content in this death game genre (think Squid Game, Hunger Games, Escape Room, etc.), something beyond the lure of thrilling survival games needs to capture our attention. What Alice in Borderland really excels in is bringing the traditional beats of an anime to the mainstream, more digestible live-action format that can appeal to an even broader audience. As it was one of the biggest Japanese hits on recent American streaming, I’d say it succeeded. It’s also refreshing how so much emphasis on worldbuilding and character depth it has that enhances a lot of the simpler games. When the complexities of the game are lacking, the characters’ differences and motivations bring a lot of suspense and humanity to the games, season two being a great example of how to enhance and expand upon an already-wellestablished premise and season.

Seasontwoimprovesandextenuateswhatmakesseasononeengaging butaddstheextraelementofhavingcharactersruntheface-card games.Everyface-card-gamerunneraddsmuch-neededdepthtothe gamestoavoiditbeingamindlessgorefestanddeath-gamecashgrab.I waspleasantlysurprisedbyhowmuchIlovedeachface-cardcharacter andtheemotionIfeltforthem,albeitactingasin-gameadversaries. AfewstandoutswouldbetheKingofClubsandQueenofSpades, eachbringingemotionaldepth,humanconnection,and,surprisingly, quiteafewlaughsinanotherwisebleakenvironment.So,nowthe gameplayerscanmakeconnectionswitheachotheraswellastheir mysteriousadversaries,settingtheirsightsonthedreadedmeetingwith themastermindofthegames,theQueenofHearts.Overall,Icaredalot moreforthedeaths,anditfeltlesslikeagorefestforshockvaluethat someofseasonone,attimes,felt.

Overlooking the explosive collars reminiscent of the infamous carnage in Battle Royale, Alice in Borderland plays with a lot of creative ways to picture death: death by falling, death by explosion, death by lasers, death by sulfuric acid. It’s horrible, it’s gruesome, and it’s super engaging as this is a show not afraid to kill off major players. Chishiya and Kuina are stark standouts, representing the Cheshire Cat and Absoleum (the Blue Caterpillar), with some of my favorite outwit and fight scenes from these two. Alice and Usagi are likeable to root for as the main protagonists, and the diabolical Queen of Hearts is exactly what I imagine an anime rendition of the character would be.

I was also surprised with the very present transgender representation we see in one of the characters. The character’s identity played a big role in their own character development and arc in the series. It was a great breath of fresh air to see such open representation in the media, let alone Japanese media that tends to be more conservative with social issues. The women characters also really stand out in this show: they have great depth, intellect, and specific attributes that logically lead to them making their own decisions throughout the games. The show definitely passes the Bechdel test, and it’s honestly some of the most badass female characters I’ve seen on TV, with a martial artist, forensic scientist, and archer. I think Alice in Borderland did a great job with creating well-rounded characters that we can root for, appalling villains we can vilify, and some characters in their own morally gray spaces.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe the weakest part of the series to be the initial three episodes of season one. Without going into spoiler territory, the first half is widely different than the second half, and while the second half establishes more characters and more plot-based elements, the first half is effective enough in setting the intriguing and bleak tone of the show. However, my issue lies within the games themselves. Season one’s games are a bit more simple than the face-card games we see in season two, but without the proper buildup of character backgrounds, some of the games felt like simple gore cash grabs, the exact opposite of what I want from a death game show. But where season one takes its time to walk, season two picks up those character ties and runs headfirst into the action.

For the shortcomings of season two, there’s quite a bit of plot armor around some characters. Characters get shot, stabbed, burned alive, blown up, pushed off buildings, and even then, I wouldn’t be sure they’re dead until I see the body. There’s a lot of over-the-top explosions and flashy action shots of characters epically moving through the flames in a bikini without a mark on them, but it’s pretty forgivable for how epic the shot is. I want to see my favorite character take down the villain in a cool backdrop of Tokyo and look cool doing it. There’s a lot more to the show than flashy shots like these, so I tended to enjoy the ones we got.

What really brings it all together and elevates this show from mindless fun survival games is the end reveal. Trust me, it’s worth sticking around for and brings everything together in a way other deathmatch shows don’t. I’d even say that another shortcoming for the show is wanting more of the characters’ backgrounds and even more games to enjoy. Leaving room for a third season and making me want to rewatch the entire series again? I would say, despite some less-than-perfect storytelling, Japan did something right with this one.

All AliceinBorderland GamesRanked

1. Balance Scale (King of Diamonds)

A brutal game of wits showing off Chishiya’s intellect and ability to read others. This is how you make a numbers game epic.

2. Survival (King of Spades)

More of a hunting ground than anything, this omnipresent shooting arena really added suspense, although some might be let down by the lack of a traditional “game.”

3. Checkmate (Queen of Spades)

Not only is the Queen a super charismatic character, it’s also a fun game of tag in a cool action set piece. Enough said.

4. Solitary Confinement (Jack of Hearts)

Another of Chishiya’s games, this game of betrayal lets his mind and cool-and-collected personality really shine.

5. Witch Hunt (10 of Hearts)

Mafia-style, hidden-role game of betrayal that reveals the worst of humanity. Pretty entertaining.

6. Osmosis (King of Clubs)

This is essentially just a watered-down version of tag, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t fall in love with the King of Clubs and his…eccentricities.

7. Tag (Five of Spades)

Fairly basic but engaging, simple but effective, a classic game of tag with the added threat of death. Solid.

8.Lightbulb(FourofDiamonds)

Figuringoutthelightbulblogicpuzzle,it’saquickgameofintellect underpressure,and itthrillsin exactlythatway. Albeitabit simpleand short-lived.

9.DeadorAlive(ThreeofClubs)

Agoodopeninggameofchancebutfairlysimplecomparedtothe others.It’shardtocareforthecharactersasmuchwithitbeingthe firstaswell.

10.Distance(FourofClubs)

Probablythemostunclearinstruction-wise.Thingshappen,butit’s mainlyjustrunning;it’snotthebestgame.

11.Croquet

Asimplegamemostareprobablyfamiliar with,it’shardtorankasthis gameislessaboutthegameandmoreaboutthemeetingwiththe QueenofHearts.

12.HideandSeek(SevenofHearts)

Irankthisgamelastforthepuremechanicsofit.It’sasimplechild’s gamebutdoesn’tevolvepastthat.

ChloeHolmisafirst-yearALTlivinginEhime.SheisalsotheAJET CONNECTMagazine’sTravelSectionEditor.Onherdaysoff,youcan findhertrekkingtothemovietheatertwohoursawayorbingingNetflixat homewithplentyofsnacks.Herfavoritemoviesare9to5andSkyfall.

henitcomestoJapaneseliterature,itcanbechallengingtofindan excellentstorythatcapturesyourinterestwithitscontentandstorytelling. SinceJapanese storytellingmay incorporatetechniques thatmany Western readersaren’tasfamiliarwith,somemaywonderwhyvariousstoriesare popular in Japan. As much as I love Japanese literature, both in its original and translated form, Ishare asimilar opinionwith manynative Japanesereaders thatit canbe hardto understand astory’smessageorrelatetothecharacters(withlanguagebarriersaside).However,one storythatcaptivatedmycuriosityandinspiredmyinterestinJapaneseliteraturewasMizuki Tsujimura’s LonelyCastleintheMirror (KagaminoKojo inJapanese).

Aftersearchingfornumerousstoriestotry readinginJapanese,Iaccidentallystumbled upon LonelyCastleintheMirror onlinewhile studyingJapaneseatmyuniversity.Iconfess thatIlovedthebook’scoverdesignandplot summary.Iwasalsosurprisedbyhowmany positivereviewsthisbookhadfromJapanese readersonline,whichisnotascommonamong Japanesebooksassomepeoplemaythink.The bookwonthe2018Japan’sBooksellerAward duetoitshighsalesandexcellentreception. Someadultreaderscommentedthatthisstory madethemcrybecauseitwassoengagingwith itsevents,soIdecidedtobuyitandreaditin the originalJapanese. LonelyCastleintheMirror willnotdisappointreaderswithitsrelatable charactersandslice-of-life momentsthatremind usthateveryonehastheirbattlestofaceand overcome.

Thestoryhighlightsamajorsocialissuewith schooltruancyamongJapanesestudentsfrom elementarythroughhigh school. Futoko ( , translatedasschooltruancy)isapsychological andsocialproblemwithunderlyingcauses thataredifficultformanypeople,includingthe Japanese, to understand. In short, many students whorefuseto gotoschool formorethan 30days are part of futoko (Cerantola). Many students who fallunderthiscategoryofschoolabsencesmay refusetoattendclassesfornumerousreasons. Frombullying tohaving anincompatible learning stylewithaschool,thousandsofstudents nationwidelackthemotivationtogotoschool andoftensufferfromdepressionandloneliness astheystayhome.

In Lonely Castle in the Mirror, the protagonist Kokoro Anzai stops attending school due to her struggles tocopewith bullyingather middleschool.As thestoryprogresses, Kokorolearnsthat sheisnot alone in her lack of motivation to return to school as she joins six other middle school students in an alternate worldbehindhermirror.Anotheryounggirlwearinga wolfmask,namedOkami-sama,instructsthem to find a key hidden in the castle they are in to receive one wish that will come true. While Kokoro wishes herworst bullyto disappear,she learnswhat theother studentswant andreflects onwhat mattersthe mostinherlife:havingsomeoneshedislikesdisappearorcaringforsomeoneshecherishes.

As much as I enjoyed this story, this book seemed longer than necessary. The story could have been half thelength, andit wouldretain itsoriginal plot.For abook over300 pages,the story’ssmall interactions mayseemlikethey prolongsignificantevents.Also, despitetheauthor’sextensive attentiontodetail,I wish I could have learned more about some of the students whom Kokoro joined in the castle. While the animedoesabetterjobaddressingthispoint, IwantedtoknowmoreaboutMasamuneand Subaru’s backgroundsascharacters.Lastly,thisstoryisdialogue-heavy,soreaderswhonormallyprefermore action-heavyplotlinesoughttoacknowledgethisbeforeconsideringthisastheirnextleisurelyread.

Overall, LonelyCastleintheMirror providesreaderswithenjoyable charactersand aplotline differentfrom whattheymayexpectfromstories aimedatschoolstudents.While manyotherAmericansandIhave hadsomedayswhenwelackedthe motivationto attendclasses, thesocial phenomenonof futoko isnotnearlyas prevalentin Americansociety asit isin Japan.Asaresult,MizukiTsujimura’s storyraisedawarenessaboutschool truancyamongJapanesesocietyand whatstudentscanconsiderwhen regainingtheirdesiretoparticipate ineducationandinteractwithfellow classmates.Thisstorydoesan excellentjobofremindingusthatwe haveour battlesto faceand overcome, butthere arealso somebattles wecan choosetofightorignore.Although itisnotaliterarytalewithoutflaws, LonelyCastleintheMirror doesan excellentjobofremindingreaders howimportantitisforustofrequently reflectandevaluatewhoandwhat matterstousmostforourhappiness andgrowthasindividuals.

VeronicaNielsenisafirst-yearCoordinatorforInternationalRelations(CIR) livinginHiroshima Prefecture.Sheenjoys reading,writing,drawing, playing videogames,andtravelingaroundJapan.Shehopestogoonaroadtrip thisyeartoexploreprefecturesinShikokuandKyushu,whereshehasnot visitedyet.

hefirstthingIdidafterdumpingmybagsatthe hotelformyTokyoJETorientationwastogoto theLawsonconveniencestoredownthestreet. ItwasoddtosuddenlybeinacountryIcould onlyremembervaguely,havingnotbeenherefor15 years.WalkingjetlaggeddownthestreetinTokyo’s infamoushumidity,IfeltlikeIwashavingaluciddream, syncingoldsensorymemoriestowhatwasinfrontof me.IrealizedIhadneverbeeninJapaninsummer. WheneverIvisitedwithmyfamilyasakid,itwasalways springorfall.MydadwasborninTokyo.Healwayssaid hemissedcertainthingsaboutthiscity,buthecertainly madeitknownthathedidn’tmissthisswampyinferno everyJuly.

boughtfourriceballsthere.Noriceballinthepast fiveyearsI’vebeenherehasevertastedbetter.Each wasmoredeliciousthanthelast,astairwaytonostalgic heaven,aninstantreturntochildhooddays.

ShouSeidaiYuan(Ehime)

ygrandma’shouseinKawasakifeltlikeatimecapsulefromanotherera,and Iguess,inaway,itwas.Irememberthescarilysteepstaircasetotheupstairs tatamiroom,theslidingdoors,andthestonepathwayoutontothestreet. IrememberdoingmyAmericanhomeworkonatinydiningtableanddull incandescentlightshiningfromtheoldfixtureabove.Butmorethananythingelse, Irememberthesmellofcurryroux,slowlysimmeringinadarkcorneroftheold kitchen.Everytimewevisited,mygrandmawouldmakecurryasthewelcomemeal. ItwastheearliesttimeIcouldrememberfoodbeinganexpressionoflove.IwishI hadbeenoldenoughatthetimetoreallyunderstandthis.IwishIhad thewordstobeabletotellherwhathercurryandrice meanttome.

’moldenoughnowtolookbackonitand realizethingsIcouldn’tthen.Iwasborn inSanFrancisco,Californiain1991to afirstgenerationimmigrantfatherfrom Japanandawhitemidwesternmigrant motherfromMichigan.Ispentmostofmy first25yearsoflifethere.Itwasaunique upbringing,abalancebetweenmyparents tryingtobesupportivebutalsoholdingcertain expectations,myfatherespecially.Idon’tthink IeverdevelopedmyJapaneselanguageskills verywellorlearnedtobeculturallyJapanese tothedegreemyfatherhadhoped.

hadalwayswonderedwhatitmighthave beenlikeifmyparentshadsettledinJapan instead,insomealternateuniversewhere

therewassomeversionofmewhowasmore JapanesethanAmerican.MaybeIwouldn’t havefeltsoconflictedbackthenifIhadlived inJapanallalong.NowIrealizeitdoesn’t matter.Thatversionofme,thisversion,and alltheversionsinbetween...wearenot Japanese,norareweAmerican.It’sagiftnow, notacurse—anabilitytoseethingsfrom multipleperspectives,thefreedomfrombeing expectedorpressuredintopickingaside.I havetheJETProgramtopartlythankforthis.

einginJapanaspartoftheJETProgram hasgivenmeawholenewoutlookon myidentity.Teachingmystudentsevery dayatmyassignedschoolshasbeena rewardingchallenge...andaglimpse intoalifethatIalwayswonderedabout. Throughthem,I’mabletolookatwhatit couldhavebeenliketogrowupinJapan,with allitsexperiences:theclubpracticesandthe drilltests,thelongwalkhomeinallseasons, thebugs.

tishardnottobeimpressedbymystudents andcoworkers’humorandadaptabilityto life’sdailyabsurdities:everystinkbugthatflies aroundtheclassroomcausingapanic,every instancethatonestudentineveryclassalmost fallsasleep,andeverytimeasurprisecostume isrevealedatafestival.Iadmirethedramalessrhythmofthedailyschoolroutine,theway itallowskidstheopportunitytoexperience differentinterestsaspartofthenormal curriculum.Theseschools—andtheJapanese

education,morebroadly—reallyvaluearts, crafts,andothercreativefieldsassomething everyonecanattemptandenjoythrough school-providedtimeandpractice,notas somethinglesserorreservedforagiftedfew. It’sthatattitudetowardsthecreativefields thatI’mthankfulmyJapanesefatherimparted tome.Asanartistnow,IwishmyAmerican schoolandAmericaneducationingeneralhad promotedthismore.AsaJET,I’veseenthe resultsofthisJapaneseapproachtocreation throughthecreativeprojectsofmystudentsat afestivalandinschoolexhibitions.

Inasmaller,yetpersonalway,Ialsolike theexcitementthechildrenalwayshave, withoutfail,wheneverthere’scurryand riceforschoollunch.It’safeelingIknow well,andoneIwishedIcouldhavefeltmore often—asimplecomfortandreassurancethat thingswillbealright.

henIwassevenyearsold,inAmerica,I startedgoingtoJapaneselanguageschool everyweekonSaturdays.Ihadtoendure thisongoingpissingcontestofbullyingand beingbulliedthatpeoplelikemeplayedwhen wewerekids,kidsthatwerealsomixedand confusedabouttheirculturalidentity.Anxious anduncertain,wetriedtomakeothersfeelas smallaswefelt.Weassertedouranxiouslittle egosandtriedmakingeveryonearoundus feelinadequate.

eoplewouldmakefunofmylighterskin toneandmyeasy-to-ridiculename.Ihad neverthoughtmuchaboutthesethingsuntil then,letaloneasthingsworthridiculing over,butsuddenlytheywerefrontandcenter targetsformyclassmates.SoIcameupwith myownvitrioltofirebackwith.Fightingback likethatfeltgoodinitially,butIdidn’tnotice whatitwasdoingtome—trappingmyself innegativity.Itfeltgoodatfirsttotellmy

classmatesstrugglingwithJapanesehow dumbtheysoundedspeaking,howmessy theirwritingwas,andhowthey’dnever improveeither.Butintheend,itjustfueled myself-hatredandbitternessevenmore. Somepeoplegrowoutofthismindset,and somepeopleneverdo,stayinginsecureand resentfulintoadulthood.

usedtoresenthavingtogototheseextra schoolsessionseveryweek,resentingmy parentsandresentingmyself.Neithermy mothernorfatherseemedtohavefully thoughtaboutcateringtowhatIwanted frommylifeandwhatbestfitme.Myparents weren’tperfectthough—theyhadtheirown personalandidentitystrugglestoo.Plus,like allcouplesstartingfamilies,raisingkidswasa newexperienceforthem,shapedbytrialand error.Theydidwhattheythoughtwasbestfor me,butIfeltintheendtherewassomething importantaboutmyselfIwasn’tableto understand.AsIgotolder,IrealizedthatifI didn’tgotoJapanandlivetherelongenough tounderstandmyselfbetter,Iwouldregret itmywholelife.Iwouldhaveanincomplete picture,halfobscured.Knowingbecame existential,necessary,soI’mgratefulthatthe JETProgramgavemethisopportunity.

ttheendoftheday,noneofusmixed kidswereoreverwillbereallyJapanese. DeterminingifwewereJapaneseenough didn’tmatterintheend.Iusedtolongfor somekindofclarityaboutwhetherIwasthis ornot.Halfwaybetweentwoopposites,feet off theground,Ienviedpeoplewithaclear culturalidentity.Irealizeonlynowthatbeing mixedgavemeaclearopportunity.Notmany peoplewouldbeabletoseeandappreciate theworldlikeme.Therewerenomentorsto helpmefigureouthowtobeself-confident.

wasnevergoingtobeanyonething,and IthinkIalwaysknewthat,deepdown.I thinkthatmygrandmaknewittoo.Shenever mademefeellikeIwasn’tenough,andIwish Iappreciatedthatmorebackthen.WhatI wouldn’tgivetogobacktothatdustyroom andtellhernomealwillevercomparetoher curryandrice.I’dhavetoldhermyfuture selfwouldcherishthosememoriesofbeing acceptedandloved.

There’sneverbeenarealroadmaplaidout forme,soIwilljusthavetocontinuemaking myown.

houSeidaiYuanisasixth-yearALTworkinginEhimePrefecture,theland ofcitrus.HeisoriginallyfromSanFrancisco,California.Hespendshistime cookingcomplicatedmulti-coursemealsandlosingatvideogames.Eventually though,thingscomeoutalright.

henyouthinkoftraditionalJapanese music,whatareyourfirstthoughts?

Somemayimaginethetranquilsoundof thethree-stringed shamisen instrument. Othersmightponderthecarefulplucking ofstringsona koto orJapanesezither.Given theseinstruments’longhistoryandtheirimpact onshapingcontemporarymusic,it’snosecret thattraditionalJapanesemusicsuchas gagaku continuestoinfluencehowvariousartistscreate andsharemusiceventoday.Buthowfarback canwetracethepresenceoftraditionalJapanese musicinhistory?AndwheredoJapanesefolk songsdrawtheirinspirationregardingmusical composition,lyricalcontent,andmore?Gagaku,or Japaneseclassicalmusicoriginallyplayedforthe imperialcourt,consistsofmusicalelementswe canheartodayandanexaminationofitcanhelp usbetterunderstandhowimportantgagakuhas beentoJapanesemusichistory.

VeronicaNielsen (Hiroshima)

PhotobyNagara-OyodoonUnsplash

PhotobyMattBrineyonUnsplash

agakuinitscurrentformdatesback totheHeianperiod,oraboutthelate 10thcentury.(1)However,itsroots tracebackevenearliertoaround589 whentheJapanesewereintroducedto ChinesecourtmusicandBuddhismfrom China.ToJapanatthetime,Chinawas themostpowerfulandsophisticated civilizationintheknownworld.Because Japan’searlyrulerswantedtodevelop Japanintoacountrythatotherscould alsorespectasbeingsophisticated likeChina,theysentvariousdelegates abroadtoChinatolearnaboutChinese culture.Frommusicandwritingto politicalleadership,manyinfluential Japanesefiguresbroughtknowledge fromChinathatwouldprovidethe necessaryfoundationforJapantocreate itsculture.OneofthesewasChinese courtmusicandinstruments,which formedthebasisforgagaku.

ntheHeianperiod,variousperformers playedgagakuintheimperialcourt, andmusicianspassedonhowto playiteachgeneration.Gagakuin Japanisafusionofnumerousmusical typesderivingfromChina’s togaku andKorea’s komagaku music.Three categoriesdistinguishonetypeofsong fromanother: Kangen areinstrumentals, bugaku includesmusicforperformersto danceto,and utaimono includesasinger chantingorsingingpoetryorotherlines tothemusic.(3)

recentlytriedlisteningtoallthreekinds onSpotifyandYouTube.Eversince,I willneverthinkaboutthismysterious musicthesamewayIdidbefore.Itisa uniquemusicalgenrethatonecannot comparetootherfolkgenreselsewhere intheworld.

angen initiallysoundseerie,with severalflutesresoundinglouder thanotherwindinstrumentsand the taiko drums.Manyofthesongs inthisgenreareslow-paced,with prolongednotesandoccasionaldrum beating.Dependingonwherethesong compositionoriginated,thetempoin kangenmusiccanvary.InChina,for instance,themusicconsistsoffasterpacedinstrumentalswhichmakefor energeticmusic.Ontheotherhand, songswithinfluencesfromKorea orIndonesiatendtohaveslower backgroundmusicthatwillremind listenersofmanykangensongsthey canhearonlinetoday.However,much ofitisstillslower-pacedcomparedto othertraditionalmusicsomeforeigners maybefamiliarwithoninstrumentslike the shakuhachi fluteorthekoto.Having listenedtoseveralkangensongs,Icould understandhowtheslowprogression ofthemusicwasconsideredsuitable forimperialcourtmembersforformal occasionsintheJapaneseimperialcourt backthen.

hesecondgenre, bugaku,is somewhatsimilartokangen,as membersplaysimilarinstruments likethemouth-organandlute. Despitethis,unlikekangen,bugaku isaccompaniedbydancingandhas slightlymorevarietyinthemusicspeed.

(3)Someofthesefaster-pacedsongs camefromcountrieslikeChinaand Korea,andsomeoftheperformers’attire displaysinfluencesfromIndonesiaand otherpartsofAsiawithitsbrightcolors

PhotobyYanghongYuonUnsplash

andaccessories.(1)Thedancescanbe performedbyoneindividualoragroup, suchastheoneinthis video.Here,a singleperformerwearsbrightorange attirewithornateaccessoriesandmoves slowlyaroundthestageintunewith thesong.Viewerscanalsowatchhow agroupoffourperformerspartakeina similarperformancetoaslightlyfasterpacedsong;theycanenjoyseeingthe fourturnandchangeplacesinsmooth transitions.(2)

Outofthethreemaintypesof gagakumusic,Ienjoyedlisteningto utaimono themost;itwasthemost familiartomeinitsmusicalcomponents thantheprevioustwo.FromthesongsI listenedtoonline,utaimonoisprobably closesttokangen,withitsslower atmosphereandflutesresoundingabove thedrummingandotherinstruments. However,utaimonoalsoutilizesvocals andsonglyricsthatareinspiredbyor directlyreferencefamouspoems.One exampleisthepoem“Kanshin”(嘉辰) by FujiwaraKinto,apoetsaidtohavelived fromthemid-Heianperiodandwhose otherChinesepoemsalsoinspired otherutaimonosongs(4).Withallthese elements,it’sthemostcomprehensiveof thetypesofgagaku,andit’smyfavorite typeforit.(1)Thesingingstylevaries betweensongs,butIenjoyedhearing howvocalistscouldreachvarioushigh notesthatlistenersmaynotoftenhear inmuchcontemporarymusic.Some listenersmayalsonoticethatsome vocalsremindthemofchantinginthese folksongs.

oday,gagakuisnolongerplayedin ChinaorKorea,butthemusicisstill aliveandpreservedthroughvarious ceremonialperformancesinJapan.(2) Givenitsculturalsignificance,gagakuis primarilyperformedtodayintheImperial Householdforprestigiousoccasions likeceremoniesandbanquets.However, visitorsandresidentsinJapancan alsoobservegagakuperformancesat multipleeventsthroughouttheyearat ItsukushimaShrineonMiyajimaisland inHiroshimaPrefecture.Spectatorscan listentoJapaneseclassicalmusicthat drawsinspirationfromChina,Korea, andIndonesia.(2)Ifyou’reevervisiting Hiroshima,Ihopeyoucanattendthe variouseventsandfestivalsItsukushima Shrineholdsandtakeadvantageof thechancetolistentothisfascinating musicalgenrein-person.

VeronicaNielsenisafirst-yearCoordinatorforInternational Relations(CIR)livinginHiroshimaPrefecture.Sheenjoys learningaboutJapaneseculture,specificallypopular culture,history,anditsinfluencesoncontemporaryJapanese society.ShehasvisitedmuchofJapanandhopestoexplore ShikokuandKyushu,thelasttwomainislandsshehasyet tosee.

Sources

1. Gagaku(Wikipedia)

2. BungakuVideo(Miyajima)

3. Gagaku(ImperialHouseholdAgency)

4. WakanRoeishu(Wikipedia)

PhotobyNickiElizaSchinowonUnsplash

LIFESTYLE

WELLNESSEDITOR connect.ajet.health@gmail.com

AlexandraCrombie

“Hefoldedhisfearintoaperfectrose.He helditoutinthepalmofhishand.She tookitfromhimandputitinherhair.’’— ArundhatiRoy,fromTheGodofSmall Things

SPORTSEDITOR connect.ajet.sports@gmail.com

AndyHanson

“Theonethingthatyouhavethatnobody elsehasisyou.Yourvoice,yourmind, yourstory,yourvision.Sowriteanddraw andbuildandplayanddanceandliveas onlyyoucan.”—NeilGaiman

WELLNESSDESIGNER connect.ajet.visualmedia@gmail.com

LloydCruickshank

JamaicanProverb:"Nuhbitedihanwehfeedyu" Translation:Neverbitethehandsthatfeedyou. Meaning:Donotbeungratefultotheonewho hashelpedyou.

SPORTSDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantdesigner2@gmail.com

AmyRatcliffe “お疲れ様です”

COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy3@gmail.com

AshleyLeung

“So,eventhoughyouhavebrokenmyheartyet again,Iwantedtosay...Inanotherlife,Iwould havereallylikedjustdoinglaundryandtaxes withyou.”—Waymond,fromEverything EverywhereAllatOnce

Photo:AndreBenz|Unsplash.com

TheWayof theSwordand theWayto theHeart

ThomasColeman(Hyogo)

Shroudedinbluearmourmaskingtheir figures,the twoswordsmen bowto each otherandcarefullypressthehiltoftheir bambooswordstotheirhips.Theystep one,two—swish—three,theirweapons nowdrawnandthetipsoftheirblades aimingattheother’seye.Bendingtheir knees,theysinktothefloor,signifying thebeginningoftheirhistoricritual, beforerisingonceagain.Then,there’s aslightpause,thetwitchingofhands, theadjustingoffeet,eachswordsman glancingforabreakin theother’sguard.

Kyaaaa! Thewarriorcries. Hyuuaa! Thewarriorreplies. Thetipsoftheirbladesstarttohypnoticallydancewitheachotherasthey pokeandprovoketheiropponent.The swordsmenshadoweachother’smovements,almostlockedinsymmetry.One swordsmanslowlyedgesforward,sees hisopening,andmakeshismove.Ina singlemotionandwithlightningprecision,thewarriorraiseshisswordand strikeshisprey,whippinghisweapon athisopponent’sheadlikeafisherman castinghisline.Synchronouswithhis attack,theswordsmanletsoutamighty roar—Meeeen!—ashespringshimself forwardoff hisleftfoot,bringinghislead footthunderouslydowntothefloorand pushingthe strikethrough hisopponent. Thwack.Thebattletrulybegins.

Theobservercan’thelpbutask:Howcouldonenotbeenchantedbytheetiquette,discipline,andskillofthekendoka?Inaritualthathasbeenpasseddownthroughthecenturies,whocouldnotbecaptivatedbytheheirsofthesamurai?Thesethoughtsignite anevendeeperquestion:ThereissurelynowaythatIcouldlearntodoallofthattoo... couldI?

Whenwatchingthesemastersatwork,itiseasytoview Budo (Japanesemartialarts)as aninaccessibleworldtobeginners.Inthisscenario,youmightblockoff anythoughtof tryingitoutforyourself.However,Iarguethatthiswouldbeamissedopportunity.

WhileIsatwatchingthisintense kendo (Japanese-style fencing) match at my universityinKyotoin2018,similarthoughts crossed my mind. I wondered how cool it would be to be one of the kendoka locked inthis captivatingduel. Butnot beingthe mostathleticpersonnorapersonwith anyparticularaffinityforcombatsports, Iatfirstdismissedtheseideas.Iwould beacompletenovicelearningacomplicatedsportwithonlyabasiclevelof Japanese.Withthisinmind,surelythere wouldbelittlepossibilityofmeactually becomingakendoka.Yet theexcitement ofthematchhadalreadyignitedaflare withinme.WhatifI could learnkendo? TheflareburnedbrighteruntilIcouldn’t containitanylonger, andlaterthatsame day,Iinquiredaboutjoiningtheir dojo.

Iquicklydiscoveredthatmyworries werecompletelyunfounded;theother studentswereexceptionallywelcoming andgladlyinvitedmetotheirsessions. Theircommitmenttotheircraftwasinfectious,andsoon,Iwasattendingas manypracticesasIcould.Overthenext year,theypatientlytrainedmeandeven wentsofarastolendmesomegearso thatIcouldfullyshareintheirpassion. Thelanguagebarrierwasalsosurprisingly no issue as what I didn’t understand inJapanese,theywereabletodemonstratetomevisually.Atthesametime, theirfriendlinessandcuriosityabout memeantthatIwasabletoincreasemy confidencewhenspeakingJapanese too.Further,asabeginner,Iwasnot expectedtokeepupwiththerestand wasabletolearnatmyownpace.Thus, theroadtobecomingakendokawent frombeinganimpossiblefantasytoan achievable—albeitdistant—target.

As I learnt more and more about kendo, the deep relationship between its history, practice, and ritual unexpectedly appealed to a different side of me: the humanities student. In every aspect of kendo, there is a callback to Japan’s long history of distin-guished swordsmen.

From the very start, as you get dressed for practice, you change into the traditional uniform of the kendoka, the dogi (long-sleeved jacket) and hakama (long-loose trousers which resemble a skirt). When you start your warm-up, you reach for your bokuto (wooden sword), which has been used in dojo since at least the 1300s. Before you begin the main body of training, you will strap on your bogu (practice armour), the earliest designs of which were invented in sword schools during the 1700s. After this is securely fastened, you will pick up your shinai (bamboo sword), a weapon carefully designed by Edo period samurai to prevent injury to their sparring partners. Then, when you are ready to start, you will line up and perform several inherited rites such as sitting on your knees in seiza and bowing to both your instructors and the kami-sama (gods) of the dojo.

Finally, draped in the robes and rituals of history, you are ready to begin.

Inkendo,therearefourpointsofcontact,allofwhichwillbethesubjectof keiko (practice): men (helmet), kote (bracer), do (breastplate),and tsuki (throatguard).Thedrillingofthese strikesisthenimplementedin shiai (matches),where,toscorepoints,you mustproperlyexecuteastriketoa pointofcontact,letouta kiai (shout), stampyourfoot ontheground inanactioncalleda furikomi,andcleanly finish yourtechnique.Oneoftheothermain activitiesis kata (choreographedpatternsperformedwithoutarmourand usingbokuto).Whatissointeresting aboutthesevariationsofpracticeis thatthetechniquescandifferdependingon theschool, leavinga widefield to studyand master.This meansthat even themostskilledkendokahavesomethingtolearnfromapeerfromanother school.

Afteracoupleofyearsofbeinginvolvedwithkendo,Ihavefoundthat myinitialflarehasonlygrownstronger asthesportcontinuestoprovideme withexcitingnewopportunities.More recently,ithasmeantthatIhavebeen abletobuildadeeperconnectionwith mylocalcommunityinHimeji,animportantpart ofworking asan ALT.Introducedthroughateacheratmyschool, Inowattendadojolocatedineastern Himejiandonlyashorttrainridefrom myapartment. Eagerlyhopping off onto theplatformeveryweekend,Iheadto practiceknowingthat,justasIhadrealisedwhenIstartedmyjourney,there willalwaysbesomethingnewtolearn andmorespecialmomentstoengage with.

OnceIarrive,Ibow,hurriedlyenterthe dojo,and quicklyget changedinto mydogi andhakamaasIgetreadyforthesession. Lookingaroundtheroom,thereisavast arrayofpeopleofall generationsandabilities gathered. The practitioners range from older,highlyrankedmasterstoyounger, less-experienced students (including teenagersandchildren).Lastly,theglueofthe groupis theparents whohelp organisethe twice-a-weekmeetandsupporteveryone fromthesidelines.Together,theyforma locallyrenownedkendo associationcalled ShirasagiKenyukai (ShirasagiFriendsof KendoAssociation).Inthedojo,thereis agreatsenseofharmonyandspacefor everyone,asthemasterandveterankendokapassionatelysharetheirexpertise withpeersandimparttheirwisdomto theyoungermembers.Inthiscommunity,Ihavefoundmyownspacetoo.Here, Ihavebeenabletotrainwithmanyskilled swordsmenandhavelearntsomuch.The abundanceoftalentedkendokameans thatalllevelsoflearnerscanhavespecific trainingbeforeweallcometogetherfora generalpractice.Moreover,thisschoolis uniquefor Kanshin-ryu,ararestyleofkendooriginatinginTokushimainthe1500s. Thus,whenIlineuptobeginoursession, IknowthatIhavebecomebothasmall stoneinthepillarofthecommunityand involvedinkeepingtheirimportanttraditionsalive.

Whatmyexperienceshavetaughtme isthis:Iftheopportunitytogetinvolved insomethingnewsparksyourinterest, don’tignoreit,don’thesitate,justgofor it.Whetheritismartialartsoranything else,ifnurtured,newexperienceswillnot onlyprovideyouwithnewinterestsanda hostofnewandunexpectedskillsets,but theywill alsogive youa greaterinsight into yourself,yourlocalcommunity,andtheir customs.

Looking at Budo specifically, if kendo is not for you, then you can also choose from themanyvariantsofJapanesemartialartsthatarewidelypractisedthroughout Japanandthe world.Whilesports like karate and judo areglobally popular,there areevenmoreparticularartsincluding aikido (thewayofharmonyandenergy), Iaido (thewayofsworddrawingandswiftdefence),and kyudo (thewayofarchery)too.

So,whenyouarenext inspiredtodosomething,don’t questionyourabilitytodo it.Askyourselfinstead:“WhencanIstart?”

ThomasColemanis aBritishALT fortheJET Programmecurrentlyworking fortwo highschoolsinHimeji.Asahumanitiesgraduate,hehasakeeninterestinhistory andcultureandcanoftenbefoundtravelling aroundhistoricalsiteswithabookin hand.Whenheisnotdoingthis,hewillbeathislocaldojopractisingkendo.

ChloeHolm(Ehime)

Ihadn’tfeltthesprayofschoolyardpebbles stuckinmyshoes,theweltsfromhalf-deflatedsoccerballsflungwithsurprisingstrength, orheardtheshrillgleefromtheaccompanyingannouncedschoolyardwinnerssincemy owntimeinelementary.Andeventhen,Ihad forgottentheunbridledjoythatexplodesfrom newlyvictoriousbackyardgamechampions.

Fromanorganized,school-widecopsand robbersmatch,toaslyboutof janken (rock, paper,scissors)slipped inthehalls, Ihavehad thedelightfulexperienceofwitnessing,and participatingin,manybackyardrecessgames asanelementaryschoolALT.

AsmuchasIenjoythenostalgiaofschoolyardgameclassicssuchastagand,mypersonalfavorite,capturetheflag,thesegames cancontainthesame competitivenessandintensityassociatedwiththeSuperBowlorthe Olympics.Sometimes,beingthesoleALTcan feelasifyouweretransportedtotheworlds ofSquidGame,orAliceinBorderland(withoutthegruesomeness,thankfully).Withlittle Englishinstruction,andvirtuallynopatience ortimetoexplainanythingtoyou,participatinginrecessgamescanfeelliketheultimate testoffigure-it-out-or-get-left-behindmentality.Andwhile,attimes,itcanbedifficultto transferthelimitedknowledgeyoupossessof gamesyouplayedmorethanadecadeago, there’snothingmorerewardingthanwinning yourfirstgameofdodgeballwithtenother third-gradersscreamingvictoriousatthetop oftheirlungs.

Therefore,asanelementaryschoolALTnow experiencedin thecraft ofsurviving thechaotic onslaught of schoolyard games, I have taken ituponmyselftolearntheserulesofcombat andbetterpreparemyself,andothers,forthe fullfrontalassaultthatistherecessexperience.

The timeless and worn-out classic. You will surely be asked to play this game numerous times in the day. Rest assured, the rules are usually straightforward enough for the bumbling foreigner to keep up with—that is, until the small munchkin weaving around you creates variations that can make it feel as senseless as a game of Dutch Mao. The main difference from American tag games is mainly in the start: the person who is “it” is instead called the oni (demon).

This demon will cover their eyes, count to ten, and then it’s a free-for-all as the demon (most likely you—just a part of the job) will proceed to chase, grapple, and dive for the screaming kids as even more join in on the torturous fun.

Pro tip: Make a devil’s bargain with that one kid who’s impossible to catch—convince (or bribe) them to be the oni and they can unleash all their energy during the rest of recess. I have no doubt they will agree to this bargain and it’ll give you a much needed breather

Additional pro tip, recruit one of the sidelined teachers and have them be the “big oni boss” (AKA the glorified replacement). Nothing wrong with sharing the energy that you haven’t had since you were a fourth grader yourself.

(keidoro)

Thesimilaritiestogamesbackhomewiththischildhoodgame wasalsoverymuchappreciated.Aswithallformsofgames,procedures, and general doings in Japanese culture, the opening and rulesinstruction wereextremely formalcompared tothe chaosof anelementaryschool.

Myschool hada school-widegame ofcops androbbers whereall thestudents(andteachers)participated.Theleadteacherstood atthefrontofthesoon-to-bebanditsanddolledouttheinstructions,towhichthecontrolled(fornow)chaoslistenedintently, quietlybidingtheirtime,plottingthebeststartingpositionand wheretosprinttofirst.Thechildrenwaitedpatientlyincurated rowsandonlysplitwiththetoneofthewhistle.

Oncethatblew,itwastheusualchaosI’danticipatefromany Americanschool,purechildhoodgleeandstrugglinggroans fromteachers.Copsworeredcaps,robbersworewhite,andthe wholeschoolyardwastheplayingfieldwithonecrudelymade circleinthemiddlebeingthe“prison.”

Weteachers(cops)didourbesttograbandcapturetherobbers intheallotedtime,andwhen itbecametooexhausting,assumed apassive guardposition. Ifyou canremember howcops androbberswasplayedasakid,then youshouldhavenoproblemtranslatingittotheJapaneseschoolyard.

(kakurenbo)

Asoneofthemorestraightforward games,thisis,thankfully,areprieve tosomesortofuniversalsimilarity amongrecessgames.Stickingwith thedemontheme,someone(theALT) willbedubbedtheoniandproceedto counttotenwhilethe childrenscatter.

Justrememberthesethreephrases: Moiika?(Areyouready?)Towhich you will hear the reply Mo ii yo! (Ready!) or Madadayo!(Notyet!).Searchanywhereandeverywhereinlimits,includingundercurtainsandunderthe gymstagewhereyouareboundto findsomesneakychameleons.

(dojjibooru)

Onparwiththeintensityofthefinalmatchina sportsanime,Icansay,withfullassuredness, youdonotknowfearuntilyouhaveparticipatedinaJapaneseelementaryschool’sgameof dodgeball.Beyondthename,littleexperience withthisgameinAmericanschoolscanprepareyouforthe4Dchess/boxingmatchthese childrenplay.

Forgeneral gamemechanics, themost similaritiesI’ve discernedare themost basic:split into twoteams; aninitial tossup forstarting control; crudelydrawngamelinesshowtheboundaries;catchopposingballs whenyoucan;throw attheopposingteam;dodge.

Unfortunately,that’sasfarassimilaritiesgo. ThinkingIunderstoodbasicdodgeballrules, Iwasgreetedwithanunpredictableassault fromallsides:childrenflankingme,sneakattacksfrombehind,mercilessattacksonthe (clearly)confusedadult.

Ilearnedanimportantlessoninthisgame: trustnoone.Alreadyconfusedfromthelack of Englishexplanationoftherulesandfromthe consistentstrategyjargonspewingfromthe eightandnineyearolds,prepareyourselffor thisassuredchaos, akintobeing askedtonavigatethroughaninfinitymaze,blindfolded.

InJapanesedodgeball,thereisnoreliefofunderstandingfromtheconstantchangingof sides,thebackandforthofteammatesclashingandshiftingspaces,and sothebestadvice Ihaveiswatchyourbackandnottotrustanyoneyouseeonyoursides,orwhoyouthinkis onyourteam.

Don’t try to count the outs and scoring; the gooberswill bescrutinizingly keepingtrack andso, youronlyobjectiveistostayalivelongenough tobegivenapitiful“jouzu!”(goodjob).

Remember,yourenemyknowsmorethanyou do in this game, and the goal here is to avoid becomingtheforeignpunchingbag.Theexception:anyonein yourboxcan (almostalways)be trusted,sostickwiththemwhenyoucan.

Iwouldsay,ifyouareoneofthefewwhocan survivethisdodgeballdeathmatch,youtruly areakeeperasateacher.

(Janken)

Highlyregardedasthesolelawoftheland, RockPaperScissorsmatchesholdasupremerulinginschoolandrecessthatlittle elsecomparesto.Thinkof covetedbaseball games,thinkoffamous (orinfamous)sports days,andthenthinkbiggerthanthatand maybeyoucanunderstandthegravitywith whichRockPaperScissorsmatchesare heldin Japan,starting fromthe firstage they canformthehandmotions.

Ibelieverockpaperscissorsmatchestobe a universally shared experience for all teachersinJapan,regardlessofthelevelorages ofkids,butinelementaryschoolthegame cancome fromany directionand atany time ofday.So,it’sbesttobeprepared.

RockPaperScissorsisuniversallyplayed similarlyenough,butit’simportanttokeep up with the speed and scale of it here; an entireclassofkidscanandwillplayitatonce andwillnotwaitifyoufallbehind,sobefast withitandfollowtheirleads.InEnglish,the kidswillsay“Rock,paper,scissors,1,2,3!” andreleaseafterthat(noton“shoot”foranyoneelsewhogrewupwiththatphrasing).

Sometrickstolookoutfor:Iwasoncebaitedbyaparticularlycleverfourthgrader whosubliminallysuggestedmovestome. Holdinghishandinafist,Ididn’teventhink aboutmythrowdownofpaper.Butatthe lastminute,asIthrewwithsubconscious assuredness,heswitched,throwing,instead,scissors, andbeating me.He smirked adevilishsmileatme,theALT,properlygettingoutsmarted bya nineyear old.Get used toit,ithappensalot.

PhotosbyFadilahImonUnsplash

Thesegamesandsportsareawayoflivingthe Japaneseschoolexperiencehere,withdodgeballbeingthemostbrutalawakeningofdifferencesinsports,androckpaperscissorsremaining theschoolchampionofschoolyardgames.BesidestheuttercrazinessunleashedinaJapanese dodgeballgame,themaindifferencereallyboils downtothelevelofformalitywithwhichgames andsportsareconductedhereincomparisonto theircounterpartsintheU.S.Whetheritbeanationalspeechbytheprimeministeroragameof copsandrobbers,Japanholdstheirproceduresto aformalstandardthatisstarklydifferentfromwhat I’musedto.Doesitgivemeachancetoprepare myselffortheonslaught?Yes.Isitincrediblyformalandhardtofollow?Also,yes.Andthat’sapart ofbeinganelementaryALT—beingabletofigure outwhereyoufitintheformalproceedingsbefore amatchand(maybe)figuringoutthebasicrules ofdodgeballafterbeingassaultedtoomanytimes intheback.

Chloe Holm is a first-year ALT living in Ehime. She is also the AJET CONNECT Magazine’s Travel Section Editor On her days off, you can find her trekking to the movie theater two hours away or binging Netflix at home with plenty of snacks. Her favorite movies are 9 to 5 and Skyfall.

Istolethisrecipefromaco-workerafter shegenerouslysurprisedmewith someforlunchlastmonth.Iworkata senior high school, so we aren’t provided with kyushoku, and as a result I had been surviving on onigiri and various flavours of crisps. This stew was a welcome variation from my normal lunch and left me feeling very satisfied. Its name, nikujaga, translates to “meat and potato stew.” It is a great one-pot dish and is easy to make in bulk so you can enjoy it for lunch throughout the week.

It is not vegetarian, but I obviously accepted and enjoyed the stew anyway. You could easily replace the beef with more vegetables, but the dashi stock is less easily substituted. My best recommendation would be vegetable stock.

Ingredients

200g beef slices

2 large potatoes

1 carrot

1 onion

80g shirataki noodles

2 tbsp sake

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

100ml Dashi stock

1 tsp vegetable oil

1.Preparethevegetables.Peeland quarterthepotatoes.Chopthe carrotupintodecentsizechunks. Dicetheonion.

2.Parboilthe shirataki noodles.

3.Frythebeefinapanwiththe vegetableoiluntilbrowned,then takeofftheheat.

4.Heatalarge,deeppanovera mediumheat.Stir-frythe vegetableswiththebeefforfive minutes.

5.Addthesakeandnoodlestothe vegetablesandcookforaround threeminutes.Makesuretostir thevegetablestokeepthemfrom burning.Iftheydostarttoburn, throwinateaspoonofwater.

6.Addinthesoysauce,sugar,and dashi.Leavethistosimmerwith thelidonfortenminutes.

7.Aftertenminutes,stirthe contentsofthepanandusea spoontocovertheingredients withthebroth.Letitsimmerfora furthertenminutes.

8.Takethepanofftheheatand leaveittocoolfortwentyminutes. Makesureithascooledbefore youreheatit,asthecooling processenhancestheflavours.

9.Reheatthestew,andenjoy!

AlexandraCrombieisafirst-yearJETliving inGunmaPrefecture.Herfavouritecolouris adark,mutedblue,andshelikestospend herfreetimecampingorexploringwith friends.Shealsoenjoyswatchingcopious numbersoffilms.

Niku jaga A WinterWarmer Stew

Alexandra Crombie (Gunma)

LANGUAGE

LANGUAGEEDITOR connect.ajet.language@gmail.com

Pitta-GayPowell

“Nobodywinsanargument.”—Dale Carnegie,fromHowtoWinFriendsand InfluencePeople

LANGUAGEDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantvm@gmail.com

EmilyGriffith

“InwinterIplotandplan.InspringImove.”

―HenryRollins COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy2@gmail.com

SageOlges

“Thereitisagain,thatfunnyfeeling.”—Bo Burnham,fromThatFunnyFeeling

Photo:notethanun|Unsplash.com

It’stimeforbunandcheese!Well,ifyoulive inJamaica,it’stimeforbunandcheese. IntheU.K.,wherethetraditionisoriginally derivedfrom,theyhavehotcrossbuns, chocolateeggs,andEasterbiscuitsin theshapeofbunniesduringthisseason. NorthAmerica’straditionsalsoinclude Eastereggsandbunnies.Theegghuntis especiallyfamous.Butwhat’ssospecial aboutEastertraditions?

Well,manythingsactually,butforthis article,wewillfocusonthejoyEaster brings,andlikeSantaworkingovertime, let’sseehowwecanbringthegiftoffun totheclassroomthroughWesternEaster traditions.Ho,ho,ho?

In a nutshell (or, for this season alone, eggshell), the Easter bunny and Easter egg have been adopted and adapted by Christians for whom the season was originallycreated.Bunnieshaveareputation for being prolific procreators, so after a famous German doctor in France wrote about an egg-layinghare in the 1600s, the Easter bunny was created. Christians have since used eggs as a symbol of new life, which is significant considering that Easter originally celebrated the resurrection (new life) of Jesus Christ, and Easter falls in spring, when much of nature’s life is new or renewed. The story made its way into American culture in the early 1700s.

ImagebySeriouslyLowCarb|unsplash.com

Have you ever done an egg hunt? On Easter, countries which subscribe to the bunny-egg celebration have egg hunts which include mostly children and colorfully decorated eggs. As the story goes, the tall-eared Easter bunny used to frolic around giving these beautiful chocolate or candy eggs to well-behaved children. However, times have changed and now it hides them and children must use clues to find them. It sort of gives work for your “bread”—or in this case, egg —energy.

So how would a teacher bring this into a lesson? Let me help you out here. Let’s explore using the egg hunt idea to frame a lesson about straightforward concepts such as infinite verbs or even expressing emotions.

You will need a blank drawing of an egg. Allow students to decorate one side with any coloring tool they have as a resource. You may also print the egg with decorations pre-drawn. That way, you save time since the students only need to color the egg’s decorations. On the other side, let them write an instruction for a classmate. I can only imagine the silly things they will have to do based on the egg they find: jumping ten times, pulling their own hair, making various emotional expressions, etc.

On a separate strip of paper, help students to formulate a clue(s) since they will hide their eggs for a peer to find. Students are to code the egg and clue so they can be confirmed a match. To do this, have them write their name or a matching unique number on both the egg and the strip with the clue.

Separate the class into two teams. Let the first team stand with their backs turned and eyes closed at whichever end of the class. It shouldn’t take more than two minutes for the second team to hide their eggs. Repeat the egg-hiding activity with team roles reversed.

Have the teams exchange clues and let the brawl—I mean game—begin. Be sure to tell students not to reveal an egg that does not match their clue.

Finally, for this activity, give a point for everything—a point for coloring the egg, a point for writing the clue, a point for finding the egg, and a point for reading and completing the instruction on the back of the egg. To make the points system competitive, add a time limit in which points may be awarded. Students may need more time to complete tasks, so allow them to complete them outside the point-restrictive time limit.

Maybe the classroom context, for whatever reason, does not allow for an “English Egg Hunt ” Maybe your lesson focuses more on cultural exchange than it does on explicit vocabulary or any other language-specific concept. There are other ways you can bring Easter fun to our little ESL (English as a Second Language) learners.

Consider making a presentation on the Easter bunny and giving a quiz afterwards. But, instead of a quiz, students have a drawing of a bunny or egg that has been segmented with various vocabulary words. Many of these words would have been said or explained in your presentation. Other words would be unrelated. Have students color only the section with a word of an Easter-related concept.

It’s even more fun if they can trace the animal itself. I’ll show you an example. If it looks complicated, I assure you, it’s not. Use canva.com and thank me later

Even though I based the ideas here on the Easter bunny and its suspicious chocolateegg-laying ability, the Easter season has concepts that can translate to so many fun ESL activities, especially when you consider the various ways it is celebrated all over the world. Using it to frame ESL lessons is a lot like fitting the globe into a single class. Cheers for globalization. Plus, students are more likely to remember things which are relevant, so I say, when in the season, use the season.

VectorbyKIK.Gallery|vecteezy.com

PittaisanALTinEhimewhoenjoysbringing innovationandcreativitytoherclasses. Often,youwillfindhercreatingbooksforlittle childrenorchasingonearound.Thereisno in-between.

Japanesemayappeardauntingorevenimpossibleforlearners tograspandspeakconfidently.AsaCoordinatorforInternational Relations(CIR)intheJETProgramwhosejobprimarilyinvolves translationwork,IcanconfirmthatlearningJapaneseisnosimple feat.AssomeonewhoreadsandwriteseverydayinJapanese,one ofmy biggestchallenges inmastering Japaneseis memorizingwhat seemlike innumerablereadings forkanji, orChinese characters,that appearinwrittenJapanese.

Like many others who studied Japanese before traveling to or working inJapan,Ihadtolearnkanjinotbyitsradicals,anaspectofakanji thathelpsdistinguish similarcharacters,but byitsstroke order—the waytowriteakanjicharacterinthecorrectsequence.Becauseof this,Isoughtforamoreeffectivestrategyandtooltohelpmelearn kanji;somethingthatdidn’trequirestrenuous efforttomemorize thesecomplexbutfascinatingandfundamentalcharacters.

VeronicaNielsen(Hiroshima)

Recently, I came across Kanji Study (available on iOS and Android, an easyto-use app that helps students learn kanji anywhere, anytime.) Developed by Chase Colburn, this app trains students to read and learn kanji more effectively than many study guides do.

For starters, this app has many kanji for students to learn. These include the dailyuse kanji (about 2,136 kanji that native Japanese speakers must know) and an additional 4,159 kanji for the more ambitious learners to pursue studying. Also, the app structures its vocabulary into six groups, ranging from beginner to advanced, with a larger category for kanji outside the dailyuse list.

While the number of kanji to learn may seem intimidating to those eager to learn Japanese, the Kanji Study app

demonstrates its value through the variety of kanji available and the types of exercises you can choose.

Since using this app, I have gained greater confidence in reading and writing more complex Japanese. Kanji Study provides benefits like allowing users to select a pre-made flashcard deck of kanji to study or import their own from another source like Anki: a flashcard app/program that helps users learn by presenting information using a card deck model.

Users can also practice writing kanji. When a user taps a kanji, the app displays many features, from stroke order to its kunyomi (Japanese origin) and onyomi (Chinese origin) readings and other minute details that can simplify what initially may have seemed overwhelming.

Ifyouwanttounlockkanjibeyondthe beginnerlevel(JapaneseLanguage ProficiencyTestN5),youwillhavetopay about¥1000.Compared tokanjibooks that onlycoveracoupleofhundredkanji,this isadealforanyonewhorefusestotoucha textbookwhenstudyingJapanese.

For the Kanji Learner’s Course (KLC) graded readingsets,userspayabout¥2,980 through¥3,980forthousandsofreading exercises.Irecommendpurchasingthese forbeginnerandintermediatelearners. SinceJapaneselightnovelsandmanga areprimarilyfornativeJapanesespeakers, itishardtofindsomethingappropriateto

practicereadingearlyinone’slanguagelearningjourney.Forthatreason,graded readersserveasanexcellentdoorto openingoneuptotheworldofJapanese literature.

However,forthosewhoknowmore Japanese,purchasinghigher-levelgraded readersisnotnecessaryforlearningkanji. Manynewsarticles, blogposts,and stories containmanycomplexkanjithatadvanced studentsmustlearn.Plus,therearemany excellentexamplesentencesavailable online for free when Googling the Japanese wordthatyouwishtostudy.

Someusersmayfinditchallengingto learnthenumerouswaysofusingthese kanjiwiththeappalone.However,after engagingwithkanjiontheKanjiStudyapp first,manyJapaneselanguagelearners willlikelyhaveaneasiertimereadingtexts likenewsarticlesandlearningwhichkanji appearinvariousterms.

Thisapp isalso effective forsupplementing yourtestpreparation ifyouwish totakeany levelof theJapanese LanguageProficiency Test(JLPT)oraimforadditionalgoals likestudyingfortheJapanKanjiAptitude Test(Kanken).Foranyoneseriousabout learningandachievinghighproficiency inJapanese,KanjiStudyisanappyou willwanttoaddtoyourstudyregimento understandandwritekanji.

Andno,thisisnotapaidad.IjusthopeI havehelpedyoutohelpyourselfimprove yourkanjistudies.

VeronicaNielsen

forInternational Relations(CIR)on theJET Programmelivingin HiroshimaPrefecture. She has traveled to many prefectures in Japan and aims to visit Shikoku,Kyushu, andOkinawa—three areasshe hasyet to see.

isafirst-yearCoordinator

TRAVEL AND COMMUNITY

TRAVELDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantvm@gmail.com

EmilyGriffith

“Thereitisagain,thatfunnyfeeling.”—Bo Burnham,fromThatFunnyFeeling

COPYEDITOR connect.ajet.copy4@gmail.com

JonSolmundson

“Bodyinabyss,heartinparadise.”—XieLian inMXTX’sHeavenOfficial’sBlessing,butalso meaftervisitingabuffetrestaurantwithan icecreambar.

COMMUNITYDESIGNER connect.ajet.assistantdesigner2@gmail.com

AmyRatcliffe “お疲れ様です”

COMMUNITY

MonicaHand(Ehime)

PhotosbyMichaelDale

Asthelastbusputtersoffbefore6p.m., Nakasendo’sposttownofMagomecloses upearly.Shopownerssellthelastofthe day’sfreshgoodstothosestayingthe night,folduptheirsignsormenus,and takedowntheir noren curtains.Thenthe sun,too,beginstofinishfortheday,hitting thestonestreets,woodenwatermill,and wearytravelerswithalazygoldenglint.

Watchingthatsimple,wontedsceneafter alongdayofexploringthepreservedtrade road,it’simpossiblenottofeelthehistory thatfillsthemountain-chilledair.

The Nakasendo (中山道) was once one of the five major highways of Japan. Spanning 540 kilometers through the Japanese Alps, the highway connected Kyoto and Tokyo during the Edo period. Dotted with 69 juku, or post towns for travelers to rest in, this highway was a direct line of communication and business; It was a vital link for rulers and traders alike as it snaked through seven modern-day prefectures.

The highway itself was utilized until the end of the Edo period in 1867. As much of Japan forgot about the route, building up and around it for decades after, the historical preservation efforts started with the local people. In 1968, the people of Tsumago, the 42nd juku along the trail, began restoring the old Edo-period buildings. After years of work, the town, and several others, were declared National Historic Sites of Japan in 1976.

Thanks to this and the continued, prioritized restoration efforts, people from all over find themselves bathed in history along the route. Now, people go to the Nakasendo to see for themselves the way of an Edo-period traveler, and they stay for the authentic architecture and surrounding natural beauty.

The most popular leg of the trail is the Magome to Tsumago pass. The trail between the two is all still accessible by foot and dives into the dramatic scenery of the Kiso Valley. This article will focus on this leg of the trail, but with an added start in Ochiai, the 40th juku of the Nakasendo.

Whether you’re interested in walking the whole route, just a portion, or even just taking a bus from town to town, there is a lot to explore and gain from a visit to the Nakasendo.

Ochiaiisverymodern.Itisnotpartofthefamous segment,butit’sanicestartingpointduetothe proximitytoastationandaccesstovariousmoderndaycomforts.Whiletherearesomeinterestingspots tocheckout,Ispenttheleastamountoftimehere.It isagreat placetoget conveniencestoregoods forthe journeyaheadastherearelittletonogeneralmarkets onceyoubeginthejourneyup.Therearealsoplaces youcanexperienceJapanesecraftsandmeditationif youbookin advance.However,if pressedfortime, you caneasilybypassthislegoftherouteandgostraight toMagomebybusorcar.

Magomehasthebestviewsofthesurroundingareas asitislocatedon amountainside.Whileyou willgeta workoutjustwalkingupthroughthistown,itensures abreathtakingsunset.You’llfindplentyofscenic panoramasincafesandrestaurantsasyoumake yourwayupthestone-pavedpathforthescenicand historicpointsaswell.

Tsumagoisthemosthistoricofthe towns,offering rowsofold ryokans,buildings,andstablesthatyou cantourorpeekintoasyouwanderabout.Hidden awayintheunassumingstreetsareneatshopsof souvenirsandlocally-madegoods.Theflatterincline allowsforamorelackadaisicalstroll.Thepreservation ismost noticeablehere, withno cars,telephone poles, orelectricalwiresstrungabout.

StartingfromOchiai,thetrailisveryuphill.Whilethe distanceis shortercompared toMagome toTsumago, yourlegswillbetalkingtoyouratherquickly.Luckily, thehigheryougo,themorebeautifultheviewbehind you.Sogoaheadandtakeabreather,butbesureto turnaroundandenjoy.

Thehighlightofthistrailsegmentformewasthe OchiaiCobblestonePath.Itisanenchantingmosscoveredstonepaththroughabambooandcedar forestthattakesupagoodmajorityofthejourney. AnotherplaceofnoteistheOchiaiSunsetLookout Pointwhichisgreatfortakingashortbreakalongthe way.Thepathforthissegmentisallpavedorstone andiseasilytraveled.

ThetrailfromMagometoTsumagowasmyfavorite. Withtheiceandsnow,ittookusaboutfourhoursto trekthrough,butfromspringtofallthetrailcanlikely bedonemuchfaster.Again,thetrailsarewellmarked andnavigablethroughabeautifulnaturalforestand smallvillages.

Alongtheway,thereisasmallgardenrunbyalocal residentopentothepublic.ThereisalsoTatebaTea House,afreeteahousewhereyoucanstoptorest andchatwithlocalvolunteersasyousipsomefree greentea.Theoldhouseisbeautifulandeveryoneis verywelcoming.Itiswellworththestop.Besureto leaveasmalldonationsotrekkersafteryoucanenjoy itaswell.

Thissegmentalsohassomebeautifulwaterfalls(the OtakiandMetakiwaterfalls)andmountainousshrines along the way. But overall, just the cedar and pine trees andnaturalforestsarebeautifulandmakethejourney worthit.Thefallandcherryblossomseasonsare whenthetrailisthemostpopularaspeopleflockto seetheleaveschangeandthemanyweepingwillow sakurablossoms.

If you’re a foodie or fiend for local crafts, you won’t be disappointed in the offerings of these historic little post towns.

Bashimi - This raw horse dish is a delicacy of the region. If you are feeling curious (and brave), you can find it at many ryokan restaurants in Tsumago and Magome.

Oyaki - These warm buns are a great snack along the way. Filled with a variety of pastes and mixes (kabocha, pork, sweet bean, etc.) the local sellers are kind and helpful to choose your favorite.

Gohei - Maybe my favorite, these are freshly grilled mashed and miso-marinated rice balls on a stick. The crunchy, chunky texture and savory sweet taste is so satisfying after a long day exploring. Goes great paired with skewered meats or a cold beer.

Mushrooms - Gifu Prefecture itself is known for having over a hundred edible mushroom species so the mushrooms here are amazing. All grown or found locally, I highly recommend getting any kind of mushroom dish while in the area.

Soba - Soba is a specialty of the region, too. You can find great little soba restaurants everywhere along the trail offering both winter and summer styled soba. A delish meal to power you through to the next town.

Hinoki goods - Many shops are devoted to goods made from the local hinoki (Japanese cypress) trees. This wood is especially popular for cooking items like ohitsu and cutting boards as the soft wood allows for ideal moisture retention and doesn’t dull other utensils. Not to mention the elegant look of the lacquered wood for decorative items.

Bamboo goods - You will find as many beautiful bamboo handicrafts in shops as the groves throughout the Nakasendo. Popular bamboo souvenirs are mini, handmade pinwheels and horses.

1.Whilemost,ifnotall,signageisinbothJapanese andEnglish,itisalwayshelpfultoknowthekanjiof theplaces andtowns youare planningto visitalong theway.

2.Luggageforwardingservicesareavailableifyou would like to do the whole trek without cumbersome luggage.Justdropyourluggageatthetourist informationcenterinMagomeandtellthemyou’re headedtoTsumago(orviceversa)

3.Bookyourguesthousesearlyandplanyour mealsinadvance,asmanystorescloseearlyand open late. Luckily most guest houses offer breakfast anddinneroptionsforanaddedfee.

4.Ifhikinginthewinter,itmaybehelpfultobring trekkingpolestokeepyourbalanceonfrozen-over trails.

5.Ifyou’reupforit,stopandtalktolocalsandshop owners.Everyoneissokindandwelcoming.

6.Ifhikinginthewarmerseason,takeadvantage ofthebellsalongtheroutetoletanypassingbears knowofyourpresence.Thishelpsavoidsurprising anyanimalsalongtheway!

MonicaistheHeadEditorofCONNECT andasecond-yearALTbasedinthelush, butrural,Shikoku.Sheloveschallenging hikes,anythingsci-fi,andbowlsoffreshly poppedpopcorn.

TravelJapan(JapanNationalTourism Organization)

VISITGIFU–JAPAN

TatebaTeaHouseDetails/Explore| JapanTravelbyNAVITIME

What is the epitome of living in the moment?

I deem it the bustling of hungry crowds insmoky alleywaysas youwalk down the rowsofvendor tentswitha sizzlingskewer inone handand awallet inthe other.As we’reoutin thecold andhuddled around grills and barbeque haze, street food becomesa subconsciousremembrance of our hunter-gatherer roots.Ready togo on a yummyadventure?

Finediningisgreat andfeedsintoa robedroyalty fantasy,but food from the street sometimes just hits different. Vendors specializein theirlimited menusof twoor threeitems, offering thetouch ofa well-

versedchef whocan perfectlyseasonthe dishwith theireyes closed.Altogether,the edible streetis fullof varietyso thatthere isasweet treattoconclude asavorymeal, acrispysnack topairwith abubbly soda,a shavediceto balancesteamingnoodles,a roastedsweet potatoto warmyour hands and soul,a candied strawberry to crack yourteeth…youget thepoint. Butdon’t be fooledinto thinkingthat goingon astreet foodadventure willsave youmoney.While patting your food baby, you’llbe asking yourself, “Wheredid all my money go?”And even then,you’llstill manageto scrounge up500 yentosnatch onelastbite.

Dubbed “thekitchenof Japan,”thereisno better city to explore street food than Osaka. You can find Osaka’s iconic creations, takoyaki and okonomiyaki,throughout Dotonbori, the tourist destination that is asafe betfor neon lightsand foodstalls. Afresh takoyakiis crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and absolutely piping hot (lessonlearned afterpopping them in my mouth whole). The takoyaki sauce,kewpie mayonnaise,and aonori arebeautifully slathered on,and you’llbe eagerto capturea photountil—oh wait— theyjustsmothered ona handfulofbonito flakes,buryingeverythingunder anumami mass.But theflakes aredelicious, sojust letthemsteal thespotlight.

One of the firstfew thoughts that popped in mymindas Inavigated throughthe Osaka airportwas,“Whyisthere such along line for steamed buns?”551 Horai is a store chainestablished in1945 thatspecializes in butaman, or porkbuns, among other Chinese-inspireddishes.Iencountered another shop a few days later and lined right up toorder three buns forme, myself,and I. Admittedly,havinggrownup pamperedby thehomemade meatbuns freshlysteamed in mygrandmother’s kitchen in China,I can onlygive thesepoints fornostalgia.There isquite agenerous globof meatfilling,but thebun itselfisa bittoo sweetand chewy formy liking.Forthe sakeof adventure,I’d stillgive itafair trial!

Whatbetter wayto wrapup Osakathan witha fluffy Japanese cheesecake? Even before coming toJapan, Isaw videos ofthese jigglymasses beingpacked intoboxes straightfromthe oven. Now, this is the type of cultural exchange we want. Each customer linedupatthe renownedRikuroOjisanshop canusuallyscorea freshonebecause atraysellsout withinminutesof beingpulled fromtheoven.Their classiccheesecakeis sprinkledwith raisins and hasa mouthfeel matching itsappearance: soft,light,airy, steamy, fluffy. Thelightest tingeof cheesinessandsweetness makesit adelicate snackthat isperfectly shareablewith one otherperson—any moreandyou mightbefightingover slices.

The street food scene in larger cities is prevalent year-round, but just like a fireworks show,it feels more invigorating pairedwith afestive holiday.Whetheryou visitOsakafor winterilluminations orKyoto for temples, you’ll find that many areas duringChristmasand NewYear’swill have crowded streetsand busyvendors. When Itoured Kyotoand Naraaround thattime, thetempleswere jam-packedandstripped of their usual serenity. These so-called holynight marketsoffered karaage fresh out of the fryer, oden selectionsstewing ina shallowpot, yakisoba tossedon a sizzling griddle,juicy octopus skewers,and somuch more.What caughtmy eye was the longestline ata shop sellingpacks of minicoin biscuitsmade freshusing a sweet egg batter.They even displayed theirday’sworth ofeggshells ina massive

crate.Hopping onthe bandwagon,I lined upand watched thesquad skillfullypour batter,rotatethe grill,popout biscuits,and shovelthem intopaper bags.Warm,crispy, andcakey,thisfingerfood remindedmeof HongKong’segg waffles: bothbeautifully accentuatethe naturalfragrance ofeggs. After a night out,my friend had to use the restroom at the subway station,and that’swhatfatefully ledme todiscover the mochistand setup nextto therest area. Discountedspecifically forNew Year’s,the assortment had almost every fruity and creamy flavor imaginable. Two minutes beforeboarding time,hewalkedout ofthe restroomtoseeme shellingoutpaper bills asthe workerpacked myselections intoa daintygiftbox.With mynew possessionin hand,wescurried toourride justintime.

The perfect way to end the night—and thisarticle—of foodadventures isno other than my childhood favorite:candied fruit. Restricted to a colder temperature that keeps the sugar coating from melting, thiswinter delicacy leaves me craving its crunchy, fruity goodness throughout the restofthe year.Everyfirst biteinto askewer transforms me back to the overdressed, stubby-legged toddler who struggled to fit an entire candied hawthorn into one biteand criedbecause theowner wasn’t kind enough to pit the fruit beforehand. Everything about this snack is a choking hazard,but every adventure comes with itsrisks.Almost every clusterof foodstalls hadone displayinggrapes andstrawberries coated with red-colored syrup. Because fruit issopainfully expensivehere,each skewer onlyhas abouttwo tothree pieces,leaving me always yearning for more the next day.This explains why every nightmarket adventure had me eagle-eyeing kiddos withcandied skewersand makingabeeline towardthedirection theycamefrom.

Everyculture hasitsown versionof street cuisine, nightlife, and social gathering. We can go into atomic detail about the food and drinks,but the atmosphere of streetfood ismuchharder tocapture with words.An imbalanceof cozyand chaotic, shivery cold and scorching hot,dimmed sky and fluorescent lights,crisp air and smokyflavors,burstingbelly andravenous curiosity; if it isn’tclear enough already, I’menticing—no, demanding—you todive intoastreetfood adventureatyour earliest convenience.

Ashleyisafirst-yearJETinEhime, occasionallynostalgicforherhome inCalifornia.Sheenjoyscreatingand consumingliterature,music,andfilm. She’salso acopy editorfor CONNECTand lovesreadingeveryone’ssubmissions!

Working to foster community and support independent music

Kazama Ryugo (Hokkaido)

Interviewed by Ryon Morrin (Hokkaido)

Iwantedtoknow why Ryugo,a35-year-oldwho haslivedinallkindsofplaces,movedtoarural Hokkaidotown.HestudiedabroadinCalifornia forthreemonths,volunteered inCambodiafora yearbuilding wellsfor drinkingwater, andjoined aremote islandcommune inOkinawa, wherehe learnedhowtodesign,build,andrepairstructuresofallkindsfromcommunitymembers whotaughthim.Afterhereturnedfromhisadventures,histhenbosspurchasedwhatisnow FootenWonderland,butpreviously,wasasoup curryrestaurantandacommuneforcampers andtravelers.Forseveralyears,Ryugowasthe communeleader,althoughthepositionwas laterheldbyanothermember.Atonepointin time,15peoplewerecohabitatingontheproperty,somecampingand othersstayinginone of themultiplecottages.Ryugosaidthatifguests helpedoutwithworkontheproperty,theyalwaysgotfreefoodandaplacetosleep.

In2019,thepropertyownerpassedawayand Ryugobegantosavemoneywiththegoalof makingithisown.Hepurchasedtheplacehe hadworkedsohardtocreateandFootenWonderlandwasborn.InNovemberof2022,Footen hosteditsfirstliveshowinthespaceoftheold soupcurryrestaurant. Totallyremodeledand redesigned,it’stheperfectspotforindependent touringartiststoplayforanight.Beerisontap, curryissimmering,andpeoplearevibingtothe jams.

MyfirstFootenliveshowwasnothingshort ofawesome. Sincemoving toShintotsukawa, Ihavedreamedofonceagainlivingashort distancefrom amusic venue.Most ofthe live musicIseeinHokkaidoisinSapporo,the capitalcity.It’sfuntogoawayforaweekend whenabandIwanttoseecomestotown, butthedistancedoesn’talwaysmakeitfeasible.Now,mywishhasbeengranted,andI couldn’tbemore thrilled.Ryugois excitedfor what’stocome,too,steadilyincreasingthe numberof showsand otherevents atFooten.

IrecentlyaskedRyugowhathefeltwasthe bestthingaboutShintotsukawa.Hesaid,“I lovehowmuchpotentialthisplacehasto growandflourish.”RyugodreamsofmakingShintotsukawaapopulardestinationfor travelersinHokkaido,whethernativesofthe islandorinternationaltourists(althoughhe doeswanttopromoteculturalexchange). Betweentheskiing,hotsprings,andstunningbeautyofthewilderness,hebelievesit canbecomejustthat.Arecentlyconstructedrecreationpark,aswellasthestartof SORAON—anewmusicfestivalintheheart ofsummer—willbringevenmorepeopleto Shintotsukawafromnearandfar.

PhotobyRaimondKlavinsonUnsplash

Ryugowantstocreatemoreopportunitiesforresidentstogetoutandactively socializeintheircommunity.Shintotsukawadesperatelylacksagood“hang out”,asRyugophrasedit.Nearbytowns havenumerouscafes,restaurantsand bars,butthey’reabitfaraway.Asfor locallivemusic,selectionsareslimand showschedules areinconsistent. People inShintotsukawahavebeenwithouta placetomixandminglewiththeirneighbors.ThatchangedwhenRyugofoundedFootenWonderland.

Inadditiontothecompletionofthelive venueandbarremodeling,renovations arenearlyfinishedonacottagenext doorwhichwilleventuallybeavailable to rentthisspring.Campingisalsoanoptionand afire pitis readyfor use.Beyond livemusic,RyugowantstohostaplethoraofdifferenteventsatFootenallyear round.

Recently,heheldanoutdoorsaunapartythatofferedpeopleachancetowarm upduringthisbrutallycoldandsnowy winter.Footen hasalso hostedweddings andcommunityeventswherepeople cangather.RyugorentsFootenoutfor justaboutanyoccasion.

Whendiscussingfutureplans,Ryugo toldmethathe’sbrimmingwithideas, buthedoesn’thavethetimetoputevery singleone intoaction. Inaddition toFootenWonderland,Ryugohashis ownbusiness.He drivesaround Hokkaidodesigningandbuildingtheinteriorsofvarious businessesandshops,somethinghe excelsat.

On long-term goals, Ryugo stressed that, “Shintotsukawadesperatelyneedsmore localspaceswherepeoplecaninteractwithmembers oftheircommunity.”Hecontinued,stating, “Someday,Iwanttoopenacafeintheheart oftownthatalsofunctionsasabaratnight.A placeforpeopletogathertogetherandenjoy themselvesingoodcompany.”

Bothcafesandbarsarealmostnonexistentin Shintotsukawa,and theirabsence isfelt byresidents.Highschoolstudentsinparticularare inan undesirablesituation. Theonly placethey canunwindwithfriendsisthelocalconveniencestore’sdiningspace,whichseatsamaximumoffivetosixpeople.Foranythingelse, youhavetoheadtoTakikawaorSunagawa, bothofwhichareaccessiblebybike,butduringtheharshwintermonths,walkingortaking thebus(whichisinfrequent)aretheonlyoptions.

IfRyugo’scafe comestofruition, itwillnot only fillagreatneedforresidents,butalsocould potentiallybringincustomersfromnearby townsandtravelingtouristsontheroad.For now,hehashissights setonrestoringmoreof theFootenpropertyand pumpingupthenumberofevents.Ilookforwardtoseeingwhat he’llaccomplishthroughoutthisnewyearas hecontinuestotapintoShintotsukawa’spotential.

RyonMorrinisafourth-yearALTlivinginShintotsukawa,Hokkaido.He’saJapan-lifeenthusiast,amountainclimber,andavocaloidfan.Heenjoysgoingtoshowsandmusicfestivals, learningJapanesethroughT.V.andbooks,andwritingcreativenonfiction.

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